Machinery eob



mviTEn sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

THOMAS B. BUTLER, OF NORWALK,

CONNECTICUT.

MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING FELT CLOTH.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 17,487, dated J une 9, 1857.

To aZZ whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. BUTLER, of Norwalk, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Machinery for the Manufacture of Felt Cloth; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, as part of this specification.

In the accompanying drawing Figure l' is an isometrical view of my improvement; Fig. 2, top view; Fig. 3, a side elevation showing a portion of the operating gear; Fig. 4, the opposite side elevation showing a portion of the operating movements.

In Fig. 3, A is the doffer cylinder, B the driving gear, C, D, are two gears connected together turning upon a stand secured to the framethe smaller one meshing into, the driving gear B, the larger one meshing into the gear E on the end of shaft of F. G, G, are bevel gears, one secured to shaft F, the other to shaft H (Fig. 2), on which shaft are secured two pinion gears a, a.

In Fig. 4 I is a worm gear having two pins Z) b projecting above and below its surface and turning upon a stud pin. J is a worm secured on the end of shaft II. K is a sharp or quick cam secured to the shaft I-I. P is a lifting shaft taking its bearings on the lower girts of the machine. On the end of this shaft is secured a lever M on which there is an adjustable counterbalancing weight c. Connected with the lever is a pressure rod CZ having a spring on the ba'ck edge resting against the frame to throw the upper end out when not in use. The pressure rod Z is moved in beneath the cam K at each revolution of the doffer cylinder by l one of the pins b on the worm gear I. f is an actuating lever for the purpose of moving the tripping rods or plates Z, Z, and is operated by the upper end of the projecting pins, ZJ. Secured to the lower portion of the pressure rod Z by one end is a connecting arm g the other end of which is attached to the angle lever L. This angle lever is connected at the opposite end with a double pawl af. One portion of the pawl moves one tooth in the ten tooth ratchet wheel t, the other one tooth in the twenty tooth ratchet wheel at every revolution of t-he ten tooth one. The ten tooth ratchet wheel turns loosely on the shaft L. Directly over the operating pawls is a click w which holds what is taken up by the pawls. i

In Fig. 2, R is the chain moved forward by the pinion gears a, a., on the shaft H. z' z' z' zw, zw, w, zw, are the corner combs supported by gudgeons passing through stands attached to the chain. On the ends of the comb gudgeons are circles or wheels z' having tripping pins zw on the outside, and a supporting pin zi on the inside, which rests against the stand, when the comb is in position. The carrier combs are thus keptin position by springs wound around the comb wheel opening outward and pressing the supporting pins against the stands. The carrier combs turn freely in the opposite direction, when the tripping pins on the outside of the spring or tripping wheels come in contact with the t-ripping cams or pins g/ upon the parallel tripping plates Z Z. The two combs 71 zw are fixed in the stands of the chain to prevent the weft from leaving the doifer irregularly when the doffer has completed its revolution. Upon the gudgeons of the carrier combs are friction rollers Za Z0 which travel upon the flanged tracks o 0. These flanged tracks are secured to the side of the frame by brackets y). Upon these brackets rest parallel trip plates Z Z which are acted upon by the connections n with the lever f. In the parallel tripping-plates are arranged pins or cams y which trip the combs when the tripping plates are thrown out by the operation of the lever f, when this is accomplished the tripping plates are returned to their former position by a spring g. On the outer end of the shaft L and connected therewith are circular cams e which allow the rising frame s, which supports the apron, to descend as the cam is made to revolve by the ratchet arrangement. N is a shaft on which are fixed two levers z and arms s for the purpose of elevating the sliding frame and replacing the circular cams when a new bat is to be commenced. In the rising frame S are placed the rolls e upon which the apron 'l for holding the bat passes through the machine when revolving between its appropriate cylinders.

In the machine as represented in the accompanying drawings and above described the frame, doffer cylinder A, driving gear B, gears C, D, E, shaft F, and bevel gears G, G, are substantially similar to those by which the original machine is operated. rIhe shaft I-I, pinion gears a, a, chains R, Vfour carrier combs z', z', z', z', comb circles j, and tripping pins z' and the bearings upon the chain which support the comb gudgeons also constitute essential parts 'of the machine as originally patented by John Arnold in 1829, and the parts aforesaid are all of the original machine or any other improvement thereof which I have represented or propose to use. The original device of faller rods for carrying down the end of the weft and the device of faller combs for the same purpose patented'by Arnold and Bishop inV 1830 are not represented because superseded and dispensed with by my improvement.

v My improvement is susceptible of a substantial, though not perfect division into four features.

Il The first consists of the track plates 0, 0, supported by the brackets p, 20, and on which the friction V,rollers 7c, k, revolve. vIn the original'machine the carrier combs z, z', when carrying the weft are without support except that furnished by the chains, and the chains are supported by brackets at two or three points only, and on but about one half of their surface. Hence the chains have more or less swing laterally, and sag and shake perpendicularly, and very often detach the sliver of weft prematurely from the middle comb by their irregular motion, occasioning imperfection in the cloth. And without other support, the chain will not carry an additional number of combs, or combs of greater length. To remedy these defects and supply some positive advantages is the object of this feature of my improvement. The principle or mode of operation of this feature is, 1st, to furnish a continuousfhorizontal support for the combs, when carrying the sliver across the warp apron T, preventing all irregular perpendicular motion; 2nd, to permit the use of friction rollers upon the gudgeons of the combs, whereby they are carried across with an easy trac-V tion and steady motion; 3d, to support them laterally by supplying flanges, against the opposite sides of which the friction rollers revolve, preventing all irregular lateral motion 4th, to sustain the additional carrier combs z' zw z' z' and stationary combs z' z', and others if found desirable; 5th, to sustaincombs of double the length of those now in use, viz: one of eight feet in length instead of four, and permit the'machine to be widened, and a single ma- Y chine to be substituted for the two now in use, and thereby avoid one lapping weft.

II. The second feature of my improvement embraces the movable parallel tripping plate Z, Z, with the pins or cams attached, the connection zz, with the lever f, and the pin b, in the worm gear I, and the spring g.

of the In the machine as originally patened and heretofore and now used the combs are tripped by the contact of the tripping pins z' with stationary checks or cams, attached to the frame. Vith that arrangement, it is impossible to use more than two combs or to trip them on bot-h ends at the same time. Two combs are not sufficient to sustain the sliver properly, and tripping them on one end cants the sliver, more or less, and itl falls imperfectly, frequently lapping on the preceding one too much, or not at all, and making imperfect cloth. To remedy these defects and supply some positive advantages is the object of this feature of my invention.

The mode of operation is as follows The worm gear I, and pins Z), Z9, being properly adjusted, when a set of the carrier combs, by t-he revolution of the chains, have taken a sliver of the weft from the doifer cylinder across the warp ready to be united with it, the upper projection of one of the pins Z), of the worm gear I, arrives in position to move, and moves the actuating lever f, and that by its connection a, throws the tripping plates Z, Z, out, so that the tripping pins z' on the comb circles y' come in contact with the cams y, and the combs are turned and disengaged fro-m the sliver. Vhen this is effected and the sliver is removed by the descent of the warp, as hereinafter described, the pin Z2, passes by the lever j', and the spring g returns the lever and tripping plates to their former resting position. I have used these tripping plates, and they may be used, by elevating their plain edges beneath the triping pins, and thus turning the combs or by placing them below the tripping pins and elevating them and in that way bringing the tripping cams into contact with the tripping pins, but I deem the mode represented to be the best.

The 'principle which distinguishes this part of my improvement from other inventions consists-lst, in the use of movable plates whereby to trip the combs, either with or without the tripping cams attached; 2nd, the application of these plates t-o the tripping of the original combs z' and the additional combs z', and as many as may be desired; 3d, their adaptation t-o the t-ripping of the combs upon both ends alike, and consequently to the tripping of combs of any length, wherby also the widening of the machine may be attained.

A III. The third feature of my improvement consists in the application of the additional carrier combs z'- zw z' z' and stationary comb z' z'. Upon the machine as patented and as sol It is always difficult and in some electrical states of the weather and with some wools impossible to form a bat without this occurrence, and a consequent imperfection in the cloth. To remedy this defect 1 have int-roduced the additional carrier combs in connection with the adaptation of features Nos. 1 and 11 for sustaining and tripping them.

The stationary combs im zw were applied by me at first as carrier combs and turned with the rest. But the sliver is sustained sufficiently at that end by adhesion to the doffer, unless it peels off irregularly. Such irregular peeling the stationary comb prevents. 1t is however of comparatively little importance and may be omitted or used as a carrier comb.

1111. The fourth feature of my improvement embraces the cam K, the pressure rod and spring CZ, the lever M, the lifting shaft P, the movable Shaft L, with the circular cams e z fixed to the ends, the rising frame S which rests on the circular cam and the rolls e e, also the connecting arm g, angle lever ZL, double pawl ratchet wheels t, and click fw, which constitute the ratchet arrangement for graduating` the height of the frame S. Their mode of operation is as follows z-VVhen the sliver of weft has arrived across the warp and is in position to be united with it, the inferior projecting portion of the pin Z), (whose upper portion has arrived in contact with the lever f,) moves the upper end of the pressure rod (Z, in beneath the cam K. The pressure rod is thereupon depressed by the cam and carrier down the lever if, which lifts the shaft L, and its cams e e, and thereby the rising frame S rolls e e, and apron T, and elevates the warp of the bat into Contact with the sliver of weft at the same instant when the upper portion of the pin b, has moved the lever f, and thrown the tripping plate Z, Z, into position, tripped the carrier combs and disengaged them from it. As soon as this is effected the pin Z), passes by the head of the pressure rod CZ, and it is thrown out from beneath the revolving cam by its spring, and the rising frame falls into its resting position, to be elevated again in the same manner when the revolution of the comb shall have taken another sliver of the weft across the warp. The bat increases in thickness with the deposition of each double layer of weft and warp and a corresponding depression of the rising frame is necessary at the commencement of each revolution of the bat apron T. This graduation is effect- -ed by the operation of the ratchet arrangement, and in the following manner: At each movement of the pressure rod d, the pawl m is moved by the connecting arm g, and 'lever ZL, and turns the movable ratchet one notch. This movable ratchet is constructed so as to make one revolution at every revolution of the bat apron T. When the movable ratchet has completed a revolution the other portion of the pawl drops into the other ratchet wheel, moves that one notch, and thereby turns the shaft L and cams e', e, corresponding distances, and the inclination of the cams z, e, is suoli that the rising frame S is thereby permitted to descend a distance equal to the increased thickness of the bat. This operation is continued and the rising frame graduated until the bat is completed.

The shaft N, with its accompanying arms and levers is applied for the mere purpose of lifting the frame S, independently in order to readjust the cams e, s, when a new bat is to be commenced. The elevation of the warp into contact with the Sliver of weft at the instant that the sliver is disengaged from the carrier combs, and by the combined ope-ration of the several parts described, constitute the principle of this feature of my invention. It supersedes and renders wholly unnecessary all devices for knocking down or carrying down the sliver of weft fibersv or for keeping them distended while they fall by their own weight upon the warp, and avoids the irregularities of deposition which heretofore have attended and ever will attend the use of all such devices.

1 do not claim the frame, driving gear B, gears C, D, E, shaft F, bevel gears G, G, shaft H, pinion gears a, a, chains R, the four carrier combs z', z', e', z', comb circle and springs j, tripping pins i, or the bearings upon the chains for the comb gudgeons, all which are essential parts of the machine as originally invented and patented by John Arnold on the 15th day of July, 1829; but

I do claim as an improvement on said original machine, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The fianged track plates O, O, arranged substantially as described and for the purposes set forth. 4

Q. The movable tripping plates Z, Z, arranged and operated Substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

3. The rising frame S, and rolls c, e, operated and graduated substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

THOS. B. BUTLER. llVitnesses JEREMY W. BLIss, ALFRED H. TERRY. 

